Rafael Nadal first among Big-3 to send message to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner after French Open final blockbuster

Rafael Nadal never misses an opportunity to support the next generation of tennis stars, and today was no different. He congratulated Carlos Alcaraz on his incredible French Open win, becoming the first of the 'Big 3' to do so.

For Alcaraz, today was nothing short of a fairytale. Although he was favored to beat Jannik Sinner on clay, things didn’t start in his favor as he dropped the first two sets. But in true champion style, he mounted an incredible comeback, winning the next three sets to successfully defend his title with a final score of 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2).

The Spaniard was flooded with congratulatory messages after his win, but perhaps the most special came from his childhood idol and compatriot, Nadal. The 22-time Grand Slam champion took to X (formerly Twitter) to share heartfelt messages for both Alcaraz and Sinner.

lca"What an incredible ending to @rolandgarros! Congratulations @carlosalcaraz! Congrats also @janniksin for the great battle,” he wrote.

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This was Carlos Alcaraz's fifth Grand Slam title overall and his first of the season. He had missed out on the Australian Open earlier this year, where Jannik Sinner claimed the title after an epic final against Alexander Zverev.

About the author

Pritha is one of the driving forces behind Sportskeeda's tennis & baseball coverage, serving as an assistant content manager and editor. What began as a casual escape from her tiring biotechnology degree course in early 2022 has blossomed into a passion she loves, cherishes, and breathes every day.

Pritha’s love for the sport was spawned by her dad who showed her clips of "GOAT" Steffi Graf’s matches. Despite a thwarted dream of playing professionally due to injury, she finds solace in reporting the sport, while also mentoring other writers to ensure every article is error-free and top-notch. She double checks credible sources, such as the tournament/player handles and big tennis media outlets, and gives proper credit where required.

Pritha's journey at Sportskeeda is marked by nearly 2000 articles and close to 12 million views, with the "dream-come-true" moment of having her article shared by Chris Evert serving as a highlight of her career. A lifelong Wimbledon fan, Pritha also adores Rafael Nadal, Elena Rybakina, and Naomi Osaka.

When she's not seeking unique angles to elevate tennis coverage at Sportskeeda, she loves to channel her inner astrophysics "nerd" by exploring new sci-fi series and movies. A big Lionel Messi, Lewis Hamilton, and Randy Orton fan, she is always ready to engage in sports conversations anytime, anywhere, albeit not without a cup of coffee.

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Edited by Pritha Ghosh